South Korea’s home appliance market grew 9.5% in the first half as online shopping overtook traditional channels to account for almost half of sales, a shift that is reshaping how refrigerators, washers and TVs are bought, shipped and financed.
South Korea Appliance Sales Shift Online
The market for appliances and durable goods reached 11.23 trillion won in the six months through June, according to NielsenIQ, with online platforms such as Coupang, Naver and Gmarket generating 5.57 trillion won, up 24.8% from a year earlier. That put e-commerce at 49.6% of total sales, and its 1.11 trillion won increase exceeded the 976.8 billion won expansion of the entire market, meaning online growth more than offset weakness elsewhere.
For investors, the message is that appliance demand is not just recovering — it is migrating. The data show 2.495 million more appliances were sold through online platforms than a year earlier, while sales at appliance specialty stores, department stores and large discount chains all fell. Large marts saw sales drop 14.6% and TV home shopping fell 28.5%, underscoring how quickly the distribution mix is shifting toward direct, app-based and marketplace sales.
That shift matters for manufacturers and retailers alike. Samsung Electronics is selling through Samsung.com and its app with online-only products and trade-in offers, while LG Electronics is expanding direct sales on LGE.com and its app. Online platforms, meanwhile, are leaning on free returns, exchanges and delivery guarantees to reduce consumer hesitation over big-ticket items that were once easier to buy in person.
The sales mix is also moving upmarket. TV volumes were flat, but revenue rose 9.8%, suggesting higher average selling prices and stronger premium demand. Refrigerator sales climbed 17.1%, while kimchi refrigerators and dishwashers also gained, even as clothes dryers and air purifiers declined, showing that e-commerce is not lifting every category evenly.
For listed players, the trend points to stronger pricing power in premium segments and a deeper dependence on logistics, returns and customer acquisition. Coupang, Amazon and Alibaba were mixed in recent trading, but the bigger takeaway is structural: as appliance purchases move online, the winners will be the platforms and brands that can pair selection with fast delivery, easy returns and direct consumer relationships.
| Entity | Gains | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Online platforms | ▲Higher appliance sales | ▼Traditional channel traffic |
| Samsung, LG | ▲More direct sales | ▼Third-party retail dependence |
| Premium TV and refrigerator sellers | ▲Higher average prices | ▼Low-end appliance demand |
| Appliance specialty stores, marts | ▲— | ▼Sales volumes and share |
